In article >,
(BRUCE HASKIN) wrote:

> Gee Lanny, what do they do in Alaska with that. It looks like you wait
> for the bear to get up in your face and stick it in his nose and shoot

Unfortunately, that can happen...and not by design. Sightlines in willow
and alder thickets along wilderness creeks are dense, and can hide bears
until they're only a dozen yards away, especially if a fisherman is
focused on fishing and not being properly vigilant. Brown bears can run
35 mph; do the math. Bears rarely need to be stopped with a bullet, but
more than one has been dropped literally within arm's reach.

Personally, when I go to Alaska to fish, I ask locally where the known
bears are, and head in the other direction. I also don't fish
alone--there are almost no records of bears attacking groups of two or
more humans. I don't carry a gun, and I have never seen a bear while
fishing. Works for me.

A few Alaskans do hunt bears. I doubt any of them would consider using a
pistol! But they might wear one around camp.

---
Lanny Chambers
'94C, St. Louis
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html